New failures have been detected in Clonakilty’s wastewater treatment according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA has revealed that Clonakilty is one of 13 towns and cities that failed to meet the minimum treatment standards set out by the European Union in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive.

New failures and declining effluent quality, which can harm aquatic life and lead to the excessive growth of algae and plants, were found by the EPA. Clonakilty was not listed as failing in 2024, but has since been added to the EPA’s list of priority areas.

According to that list, improvements have been carried out in Clonakilty but monitoring is ongoing to assess the effectiveness of the measures. Elsewhere in West Cork, the EPA is assessing the impact of the infrastructure works to protect freshwater pearl mussels and shellfish in Inchigeelagh.

Clonakilty was not listed in the report as an area discharging raw sewage. It comes against the backdrop of a decades long campaign from residents in Shannonvale and the wider Clonakilty community due to reported sewage leaks in the area.

Countrywide, 55% of wastewater treatment plants failed to meet the necessary standards, with half of these failures “due to inadequate operation and maintenance” according to the EPA, who added that “essential wastewater infrastructure upgrades needed to prevent pollution and protect the environment are not being delivered quickly enough”.

When launching the report Director of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring Pat Byrne, called on Uisce Éireann to “take immediate and effective action to address these failings.”.